To think bare legs at work isn’t unprofessional

[Basketofkittens]

I work in a non customer / public facing role in an office. Today as it was hot I wore an nice knee length A-line skirt and a T-shirt. All very respectable. Think White Stuff style. With ballet flats.

One of the more senior managers pulled me up and said that bare legs and a casual skirt weren’t appropriate. She was wearing linen culottes and flip flops.

In my last job I would wear a maxi dress and sandals in the heat but there was no formal dress code. I looked at the dress code for this workplace and it’s smart-casual. Knee length skirts and smart tops are in the acceptable column. Flip flops are not.

Normally I would wear a smartish work dress with tights but it’s just too sticky and the office has poor ventilation.

What a cow..nothing wrong with bare legs!

I think rubber flip flops are not ok for work. Bare legs are ok imo.

Flip flops are less professional than bare legs.

I don't actually know anyone who wears flesh coloured tights, bare legs are the norm.

Flipflops unprofessional, bare legs should have sheer tights or stockings on in my opinion. I think it looks smarter.

If she was wearing flip flops did she also not have bare legs?

I haven’t worn tights since about 1998! I have bare legs all summer. I think I would have said, ‘so bare legs are unprofessional, but flip flops are fine, that’s funny!?’

It really depends on the environment doesn't it. Personally I do think bare legs are unprofessional but I've only every had Blue Chip jobs where I've worn a skirt. Other jobs I've had are trouser based (for many reasons) and I wouldn't wear sandals or open toes either for the same reason.

I wouldn't be seen dead turning up to work in culottes &/or flip flops

Flip flops are a health and safety issue in most work places. Bare legs is fine.

Unless you’re Meghan markle and the queen is knocking about in linen culottes nowadays.

I once got pulled up for wearing clearish tights and a smart skirt in call centre work...by a guy in shorts. Double standards much.

No I don't think it is unprofessional at all, it's not like your arse was showing right? And it was an office not customer service so...blah...some people suck.

Bare legs are unprofessional.

Nothing wrong with bare legs.

I have never seen anyone under about 50 wear flesh-coloured tights in my office. Once it's too hot for dark tights, everyone has bare legs if wearing a skirt/dress. It's perfectly professional

I personally always wear tights even when I feel uncomfortably hot in my professional life (but I don't judge others who don't). Maybe it's because I have pale skin and don't want to use fake tan.

Both of your outfits sounds fine to me with the exception of the more seniormanager's choice if footwear. Flip flops aren't acceptable in the workplace on health and safety grounds. Plenty of companies don't allow them.

I definitely think tights, even flesh ones, look better than bare legs. I don't even know why but it just is.
Especially if your legs aren't perfectly smooth, it's just better.

What's wrong with bare legs???

Do notice more smelly feet in summer though. Is it just the heat or lots of bare feet in shoes?

I used to work in the City 20 years ago when tights either black or flesh colour were de rigueur. However this was also at a time where office dress was very smart every day, a tailored dress and jacket or a skirt suit (no trousers!).

Times have changed and unless it is still that kind of formal set up, in most offices bare legs are acceptable. Hell in my current workplace men wear shorts, flip flops and t shirts in summer...grim!

Is it just me who thinks flesh coloured tights look really stupid?

Especially when they're the wrong colour for your skintone, which most of them are.

Bleh. Like sausages at the butchers, stuffed into casings.

I wouldn’t accept bare legs whenever dealing with external agents or out on site visits but would be fine in the office. I’d not want staff in T-shirt’s, trainers, sandals or flip flops either.

Our expectations are dark professional wear; no logos or branding. This means dresses, skirt and blouse, trousers and blouse or suits. Jackets when out and about. Ties in formal meetings. No excess cleavage or mini skirts. No non-natural coloured dyed hair. No gel nails or bright nail varnish. No see through blouses and no strappy outfits.

It’s also an NHS admin job. When I worked in the City I wore this kind of outfit in the heatwave and nobody batted an eyelid.

I just think it’s a strange thing to be pulled up when several staff are long term sick with stress, there are huge back logs and the building is crumbling around us.

Never worked in the NHS before but it’s clarified that it’s not the right job for me!

I probably wouldn’t employ someone who turned up to interview bare legged.

Was she wearing flip flops with tights then?

I think flip flops are possibly against health and safety in an office. Did you not stare at her flip flops?

Reminds me of a time in my previous career when my manager was telling me that it was very unprofessional to walk with my hand in my pocket. She was leaning up against the windowsill with her hand in her pocket as she said this. I just stared at her hand which she slowly took out of her pocket as if I couldn’t see her doing it. She got the message

CherryPavlova - your office sounds very formal, that’s not the sort of workplace I would choose to work in but those are the rules. No bright nail varnish? What kind of industry is it?

Bizarre that people would have such an aversion to a bare calf whereas a calf wearing tights trying to imitate skin is a-okay.